Supposing you have a conventional set of traffic lights with circular red, 
amber and green lights, and alongside the green light there is a green arrow 
pointing to the right.

If you want to turn right, are you supposed to wait for the green arrow, or 
can you go when the circular green light comes on earlier in the traffic 
light phase?

I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to the 
proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be turning 
across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming traffic will 
be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive access to the 
junction.

But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only for 
straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left or right.

Maybe he's thinking of the sitaution where there are two completely separate 
poles and "heads" - one with circular lights for straight on and another 
complete set with right-pointing red, amber and green arrows for right-turn.

Mortimer presented the following explanation :
> I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to the 
> proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be turning 
> across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming traffic will 
> be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive access to the junction.
>
> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only for 
> straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left or right.

You are correct, you can go on the circular green. Had the circular 
green been intended for only those going straight ahead to move, then 
it would have been a green arrow pointing up.

-- 
Regards,
        Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

On 19 Aug, 23:49, "Mortimer"  wrote:
> Supposing you have a conventional set of traffic lights with circular red,
> amber and green lights, and alongside the green light there is a green arrow
> pointing to the right.
>
> If you want to turn right, are you supposed to wait for the green arrow, or
> can you go when the circular green light comes on earlier in the traffic
> light phase?
>
> I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to the
> proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be turning
> across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming traffic will
> be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive access to the
> junction.
>
> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only for
> straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left or right.
>
> Maybe he's thinking of the sitaution where there are two completely separate
> poles and "heads" - one with circular lights for straight on and another
> complete set with right-pointing red, amber and green arrows for right-turn.

You are right, he is wrong. If the circular green was for straight
ahead only, it would be replaced by an arrow.

Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I move
into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car to turn
right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?

I know the answer. I wonder how many others do though...

Mike P

"Mike P"  wrote in message 
news:0215b43f-13a7-4a36-a11d-503e5a02d06c@c34g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
> On 19 Aug, 23:49, "Mortimer"  wrote:
>> Supposing you have a conventional set of traffic lights with circular 
>> red,
>> amber and green lights, and alongside the green light there is a green 
>> arrow
>> pointing to the right.
>>
>> If you want to turn right, are you supposed to wait for the green arrow, 
>> or
>> can you go when the circular green light comes on earlier in the traffic
>> light phase?
>>
>> I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to the
>> proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be 
>> turning
>> across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming traffic 
>> will
>> be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive access to the
>> junction.
>>
>> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only for
>> straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left or 
>> right.
>>
>> Maybe he's thinking of the sitaution where there are two completely 
>> separate
>> poles and "heads" - one with circular lights for straight on and another
>> complete set with right-pointing red, amber and green arrows for 
>> right-turn.
>
> You are right, he is wrong. If the circular green was for straight
> ahead only, it would be replaced by an arrow.
>
> Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
> Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
> way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I move
> into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car to turn
> right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?
>
> I know the answer. I wonder how many others do though...

Normally you are not allowed to enter a box junction, but I think this is 
the exception "where you want to turn right and are prevented from doing so 
only by oncoming traffic" or some such wording in the HC.

On 25 Aug, 10:15, "Mortimer"  wrote:
> "Mike P"  wrote in message
>
> news:0215b43f-13a7-4a36-a11d-503e5a02d06c@c34g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > On 19 Aug, 23:49, "Mortimer"  wrote:
> >> Supposing you have a conventional set of traffic lights with circular
> >> red,
> >> amber and green lights, and alongside the green light there is a green
> >> arrow
> >> pointing to the right.
>
> >> If you want to turn right, are you supposed to wait for the green arrow,
> >> or
> >> can you go when the circular green light comes on earlier in the traffic
> >> light phase?
>
> >> I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to the
> >> proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be
> >> turning
> >> across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming traffic
> >> will
> >> be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive access to the
> >> junction.
>
> >> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only for
> >> straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left or
> >> right.
>
> >> Maybe he's thinking of the sitaution where there are two completely
> >> separate
> >> poles and "heads" - one with circular lights for straight on and another
> >> complete set with right-pointing red, amber and green arrows for
> >> right-turn.
>
> > You are right, he is wrong. If the circular green was for straight
> > ahead only, it would be replaced by an arrow.
>
> > Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
> > Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
> > way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I move
> > into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car to turn
> > right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?
>
> > I know the answer. I wonder how many others do though...
>
> Normally you are not allowed to enter a box junction, but I think this is
> the exception "where you want to turn right and are prevented from doing so
> only by oncoming traffic" or some such wording in the HC.

Is the correct answer . It amazes me how many people don't know stuff
like this though. There's one particular box junction like this - by
Hillingdon tube coming from Ickenham doing a right onto the A40 that I
use a lot.  It's easy to be the 3rd car in line and miss a cycle of
lights simply because the cretin at the front stays behind the line
rather than move into the box to turn right. They also stay put when
the straight-ahead green is on, but the turn right green isn't even
when there is no oncoming traffic.

I've been hooted at for sitting in the middle of the box junction
waiting. Some people are even more twattish than me.

Mike P

In article
,
   Mike P  wrote:
> Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
> Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
> way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I move
> into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car to turn
> right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?

You may enter the box if *your* exit is clear. Unless a bus or taxi where
you'll block it with impunity.

Close to here there's a left filter at some lights. Now near everyone in
London drives down a road with their offside wheels touching the white
line - seems to be taught at driving school. Apart from at these lights
where they pull in slightly to block both lanes.

-- 
*A woman drove me to drink and I didn't have the decency to thank her

    Dave Plowman     dave@davesound.co.uk     London SW 12

Mortimer wrote:
> 
> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only 
> for straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left 
> or right.

  If there is no red light showing, you may proceed beyond the white line.
How many of the green lights are lit is irrelevant

On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:16:54 -0700 (PDT), Mike P
 wrote:

>On 19 Aug, 23:49, "Mortimer"  wrote:
>> Supposing you have a conventional set of traffic lights with circular red,
>> amber and green lights, and alongside the green light there is a green arrow
>> pointing to the right.
>>
>> If you want to turn right, are you supposed to wait for the green arrow, or
>> can you go when the circular green light comes on earlier in the traffic
>> light phase?
>>
>> I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to the
>> proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be turning
>> across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming traffic will
>> be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive access to the
>> junction.
>>
>> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only for
>> straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left or right.
>>
>> Maybe he's thinking of the sitaution where there are two completely separate
>> poles and "heads" - one with circular lights for straight on and another
>> complete set with right-pointing red, amber and green arrows for right-turn.
>
>You are right, he is wrong. If the circular green was for straight
>ahead only, it would be replaced by an arrow.
>
>Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
>Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
>way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I move
>into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car to turn
>right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?
>
>I know the answer. I wonder how many others do though...
>

Yep - and also while you wait for someone else to turn right. Even
fewer seem to know that...

-- 

Ian D

On 25 Aug 2009 at  9:31, Dave Plowman wrote:
>    Mike P  wrote:
>> Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
>> Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
>> way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I move
>> into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car to turn
>> right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?
>
> You may enter the box if *your* exit is clear.

This never seems like a very logical rule to me - at least in rush hour.

Quite often what happens is you move into the box to turn right - at
this point, the exit is clear and only oncoming traffic prevents you
turning, so you've done the right thing by the HC.

By the time a minute has passed and the filter comes on, a steady stream
of that oncoming traffic has been turning left into the road you want to
use. They've hit the back of a queue further along that road, and as a
result your exit is now blocked.

You are now stranded in no man's land looking like a tit and attracting
the fury of the cross traffic that's about to get a green light...

Keith wrote:
> 
> By the time a minute has passed and the filter comes on, a steady stream
> of that oncoming traffic has been turning left into the road you want to
> use. They've hit the back of a queue further along that road, and as a
> result your exit is now blocked.
> 
> You are now stranded in no man's land looking like a tit and attracting
> the fury of the cross traffic that's about to get a green light...

  But you are only blocking the cross traffic which would be coming from 
your left and heading into the blocked exit, which has to stay outside the 
yellow box anyway, so there is no fury. (Unless you drive a truck).

Ian Dalziel wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:16:54 -0700 (PDT), Mike P
>  wrote:
>>
>> Here's another for you - If I'm queuing to turn right at lights.
>> Lights go green. I have to wait for oncoming traffic to go before my
>> way is clear to turn right. There is a yellow box junction. Can I
>> move into the middle of the yellow box junction and position my car
>> to turn right while I wait for the oncoming traffic to pass?
>>
>> I know the answer. I wonder how many others do though...
>>
>
> Yep - and also while you wait for someone else to turn right. Even
> fewer seem to know that...

Thank God for Google...

I was about to say "bollocks" but I think I've managed not to make a fool of 
myself. ;-)

Tim

Mortimer wrote:
> Supposing you have a conventional set of traffic lights with circular 
> red, amber and green lights, and alongside the green light there is a 
> green arrow pointing to the right.
> 
> If you want to turn right, are you supposed to wait for the green arrow, 
> or can you go when the circular green light comes on earlier in the 
> traffic light phase?
> 
> I'd always understood that you could go on the main green, subject to 
> the proviso that you must give way to oncoming traffic that you will be 
> turning across, whereas if you wait for the green arrow, that oncoming 
> traffic will be stopped at a red light and you will have exclusive 
> access to the junction.
> 
> But a friend tells me that I'm wrong: the green light means "go" only 
> for straight-ahead traffic if there's a separate filter light for left 
> or right.
> 
> Maybe he's thinking of the sitaution where there are two completely 
> separate poles and "heads" - one with circular lights for straight on 
> and another complete set with right-pointing red, amber and green arrows 
> for right-turn.

I'm assuming neither you or your friend have passed a UK Driving Test. 
If you have, this is worrying. The answer should be obvious.